10 Star Actors Who Kick Ass In Martial Arts

As martial arts and mixed martial arts are starting to become more and more popular, perhaps one of the reasons this was spurred on due to the many action films that people watch. After all there are many actors in Hollywood who grew up learning how to do a variety of martial arts and even used those skills on the big screen. Here’s 10 star actors who kick ass in martial arts!

Iko Uwais

Iko Uwais is one of the youngest actors that hits this list at 34 years old. Since his career is just getting started, action fans can get excited to be seeing more of this guy. He first appeared in 2009’s Merantau, hand picked by filmmaker Gareth Evans who spotted Uwais in his Silat dojo. That being said, he didn’t make it big until his second collaboration in 2012’s The Raid.

Jim Kelly

Jim Kelly was a multiple time world champion in the early 70’s before he turned to acting. It all started with him opening a Shorin-ryu Kaarate school in LA. From there, Jerry Weintraud, producer of Enter the Dragon, found Kelly and brought him onto the film. Starring with the famous Bruce Lee, the amazing response from this film bolstered Kelly’s acting career, allowing him to star in a few other films like Black Belt Jones, and Three The Hard Way. Because of Kelly amazing performance, he helped pave the road for other black martial artists to enter the scene.

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Even though Jean-Claude Van Damme may not be getting many awards, the question is does that really matter? He’s starred in many cult classics in the late 80s such a Bloodsport (1988), and Kickboxer (1989). His more memorable roles are his roles in Street Fighter, Universal Soldier, Hard Target, and Double Impact.

Tony Jaa

In the MMA world today, Muay Thai is a pretty popular form among MMA fighters, however that wasn’t the case when Tony Jaa exploded. Jaa appeared on the big screen in 2003 with Ong-BakL The Thai Warrior. Because of his amazing talents, this brought forth two prequels of Ong-Bak, 2005’s The Protector as well as international attention to this fighting style.

Michelle Yeoh

She started off in Chinese cinema and became one of the most celebrated actresses in that area. She eventually became an international star part thanks to her work in some Hollywood productions. Like the famous Jackie Chan, she became known for doing her own stunts in the films she starred in. Yeoh’s appeal cam from her work in Magnificent Warriors, Executioners and Tai Chi Master. That being said, she became internationally known in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.

Chuck Norris

The “Facts” meme himself. Setting that aside Chuck Norris is the real deal here. With multiple black belts in a variety of styles, he’s used those abilities to star in many great films. There is the iconic fight between him and Bruce Lee in Way of the Dragon, but Norris has also starred in other great films. Examples are The Delta Force, Firewalker, and Missing In Action. There’s also his long-running TV series Walker, Texas Ranger.

Donnie Yen

Donnie Yen made a name for himself in his native land of China. He’s exceptionally gifted in martial arts, being proficient in several different styles. Yen broke into the business in 1983 as a stuntman in China. While overseas though, he started playing supporting roles and helped a lot in films like Highlander: Endgame, Blade 2, and Shanghai Knights. But what brought him into the spotlight was his role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Jet Li

Following behind the work of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, Jet Li has achieved incredible fame in his homeland before arriving to Hollywood. What broke him into Hollywood film was his role as the villain in 1997’s Lethal Weapon 4. Since then he’s been steadily working in other films since then. They may not be as popular as the film Hero, but he starred in films like Romeo Must Die, The One and War, which are still worth checking out.

Jackie Chan

Famous for doing his own stunts, this man is a loveable character both in film and in real life. He had small roles in Bruce Lee’s films before breaking out into stardom. Films that really helped him to shine was his roles in films like the Rush Hour series, Shanghai Noon and The Forbidden Kingdom.

Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee, The Dragon, the legend. Although his life was cut tragically short at 32, Bruce Lee accomplished significantly more in that small time than most people would do in a century. He mastered Kung Fu, wrote several books, taught Westerners Chinese martial arts, and most notable became one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Even to this day, the films he was involved in are still very much the standard for martial art action films today.